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Office: Mathews County Emergency Management – P.O. Box 839, Mathews, VA 23109 | Director: Supervisor Tim Doss; Emergency Services Coordinator: David Dixon; Deputy Coordinator: Steve Ray; Deputy Director: County Administrator Ramona Wilson
Notes: The county activates Summer Cooling Stations during extreme heat – check current locations directly via mathewscountyva.gov during hot weather. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is also promoted directly on the county’s emergency alert page.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-3 and SH-14 are primary corridors; the county forms a peninsula nearly surrounded by tidal water – bounded by the Piankatank River (north), Chesapeake Bay (east), Mobjack Bay and North River (south/southwest), and Gloucester County (west); Gwynn’s Island is connected to the mainland by a bridge
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; four public boat ramps provide water access
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Mathews County Building Official – applications via fillable PDF, emailed to the Building Official ([email protected])
Services: Administers the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, including permit applications, plan review, and inspections; a Deck Guide (AWCDCA-6/2015) is available for deck-specific projects; 2021 Virginia USBC effective January 18, 2024
Notes: Several categories are exempt from building permit FEES (though not from the permit and code compliance requirements themselves) – including nonprofit housing rehabilitation assistance for low/moderate-income households, the Mathews Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad and other county emergency services agencies, and departments/agencies of the county, state, and federal government. Wetlands permits are administered separately through the Planning and Zoning Department. Closing any roadway for an event requires prior approval from four separate agencies – plan well ahead if organizing a public event involving road closure.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
State VSO: Virginia Department of Veterans Services – dvs.virginia.gov (statewide office locator for the nearest Veterans Service Representative)
Notes: Confirm current local point of contact directly with dvs.virginia.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Mathews Memorial Library – serves Mathews County
Notes: Confirm current address and hours directly via mathewslibrary.org, as detailed branch information was limited in available sources; the library offers online catalog access and E-Branch digital services requiring a library card number/PIN
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Mathews County holds genuinely deep maritime history – during the 1700s and 1800s, more than 2,000 seagoing vessels were built in Mathews County shipyards, and from 1802-1844 the East River served as an official U.S. port of entry for ship registration, with over 10,000 vessels reported there during that period; Gwynn’s Island reportedly produced more sea captains during World War II than any other Chesapeake Bay community, and was the site of the Battle of Cricket Hill in 1776, where Virginia patriot cannon fire drove off the fleet of Lord Dunmore, the last royal governor of Virginia; the Mathews Maritime Museum, 482 Main Street, downtown Mathews, holds over 2,600 local artifacts including waterman tools, boatbuilding equipment, and ship models, open Fridays and Saturdays 10 AM–2 PM, May through November; New Point Comfort Lighthouse is the third-oldest standing lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay; the Mathews Blueways Water Trail covers roughly 90 miles of paddling routes across five rivers (Piankatank, Gwynn’s Island, Horn Harbor, New Point Comfort, and East River); Bethel Beach Natural Area Preserve, 105 acres of beach, dune, and salt marsh habitat, protects two globally rare species – the northeastern beach tiger beetle and sea-beach knotweed; the county hosts the annual Tour de Chesapeake cycling event each May, aided by Mathews’ notably flat terrain (max elevation about 42 feet)
Notes: Mathews County was formed in 1791 from part of Gloucester County and celebrated its bicentennial in 1991; its circa-1792 courthouse remains in active use today. Confirm current museum hours and any seasonal closures directly, as the maritime museum operates on a limited May-November schedule.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Mathews County GIS – accessible via mathewscountyva.gov
Parcel Search: Mathews County Commissioner of the Revenue records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Mathews County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Office: Mathews County Animal Control – enforces animal control/protection laws and County ordinances, with authority to issue summonses or obtain felony warrants as needed
Facility: Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society (Shelter) – shared regional shelter also serving Gloucester County, (804) 693-5520 – call directly to inquire about a missing animal or set up a visit appointment
Notes: All dogs 4 months and older must have a Mathews County dog tag. Wildlife matters (not domestic animal issues) go to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources rather than county Animal Control, which does not handle wild animal trapping.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality – deq.virginia.gov
Notes: Contact Mathews County Administration directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details, as specifics were not independently confirmed for this entry
NOTES
Mathews County is a genuine maritime treasure on the Chesapeake Bay – more than 2,000 ships were built in local shipyards during the colonial and early American eras, and Gwynn’s Island’s reputation for producing more WWII sea captains than any other Bay community is a real, documented local claim to fame, not embellishment. With over 200 miles of shoreline packed into a 94-square-mile county and the third-oldest lighthouse on the Bay, Mathews offers a genuinely rich, water-centered history alongside its practical services. All contact information above was sourced from official county and maritime-heritage organization pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Mathews County County
Mathews County is Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay watermen and Tidewater peninsula county – the crabbing and oystering culture on the York River and Bay shoreline and the salt marsh and maritime forest peninsula landscape define one of the Chesapeake Bay’s most authentically preserved working waterfront communities.
Mathews (the county seat, population ~800) is Mathews County’s governmental hub, a small Chesapeake Bay Tidewater community whose watermen heritage, York River access, and maritime landscape anchor its identity as one of the Bay’s most scenic and authentic small communities.
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Mathews County Commissioner of Revenue at 10622 Buckley Hall Road, Mathews, VA 23109, phone 804-725-7168. VA assessed at 100% fair market value.
Courts & Legal
Mathews County Circuit Court at 10622 Buckley Hall Road, Mathews, VA 23109, phone 804-725-2550, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK
15 Church St, Mathews, VA 23109
(804) 725-2550
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Mathews Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, Mathews (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). The Mathews County Courthouse Square (courthouse built 1792-1795) is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Local societies
No dedicated Mathews County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Mathews Circuit Court 10622 Buckley Hall Road, Suite A, Mathews, VA 23109 (804) 725-2550
Mathews County was founded in 1791, on Virginia’s Middle Peninsula at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, county seat Mathews (also known as Mathews Court House). Virginia has NO separate probate court – probate (“qualification”) is handled entirely by the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Virginia calls the probate process “qualification” rather than “appointment,” and it happens administratively at the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, not before a judge, unless a dispute arises.
Small Estate Affidavit (Va. Code § 64.2-601, the “Virginia Small Estate Act”) – available when the decedent’s entire personal probate estate (excluding real estate) does not exceed $75,000, at least 60 days have passed since death, and no personal representative has been appointed or has a pending application in any jurisdiction. If a will exists, it must first be admitted to probate (recorded with the Clerk) even though no executor is appointed. As of July 1, 2026, the affidavit must be filed on the statewide form (CC-1685).
Single Small Asset Release (Va. Code § 64.2-602) – any person or institution holding a single asset of $35,000 or less may release it directly to a successor once 60 days have passed since death and no personal representative has qualified, without any affidavit required at all.
Real Estate Affidavit (Form CC-1612) – if the decedent owned only real estate, this can be recorded directly in land records without full probate. Real estate generally cannot be transferred through the small estate affidavit process.
Full Qualification / Administration – the standard path for larger or more complex estates. The personal representative appears before the Clerk, takes an oath, files the will and death certificate, and typically posts a surety bond. The estate is then supervised by a Commissioner of Accounts throughout administration.
Step 2: filing for administration
The person seeking to qualify as executor or administrator brings the original will (if any) and a certified death certificate to the Mathews Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.
The Clerk reviews the will’s validity and admits it to probate.
The personal representative takes an oath and qualifies, posting a bond if required; the Clerk issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The Commissioner of Accounts oversees the estate going forward.
The personal representative notifies creditors, pays valid debts, and manages estate assets.
Remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs, and the estate is closed once final accounting is approved.
What it costs
Virginia imposes a PROBATE TAX on most wills admitted to probate and grants of administration: $1 state tax + $0.33 local tax for every $1,000 of estate value. No tax is imposed on estates valued at $15,000 or less.
Filing fees for qualification vary by estate size; confirm current Mathews County fees directly.
Virginia does NOT impose a state estate tax or inheritance tax – repealed for deaths on or after July 1, 2007. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
15 Church St, Mathews, VA 23109
(804) 725-3535
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
VOTER REGISTRAR
15 Church St, Mathews, VA 23109
(804) 725-2649
ELECTIONS
Mathews County Electoral Board, 15 Church St, Mathews, VA 23109
(804) 725-2649
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health District
Three Rivers Health District, 251 Buckley Hall Rd, Mathews, VA 23109
(804) 725-3661
Department of Social Services
25 Court House Green, Mathews, VA 23109
(804) 725-7169
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Three Rivers Health District (Virginia Department of Health) – serves Mathews County
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
Notes: Virginia delivers public health primarily through regional Virginia Department of Health districts rather than standalone county health departments
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Mathews
Population: 8,700
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Mathews County County residents.
